


Noir

by cazzi



Category: Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: Ada helped, F/F, F/M, In her own way, Leon is a high-functioning alcoholic, Noir is an angel, Recovery, aeon co-parenting a cat, in which Leon learns how high maintenance cats really are, no-beta but I tried, post-vendetta, with step moms Hunnigan and Helena
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-24 09:06:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20703437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cazzi/pseuds/cazzi
Summary: Leon Kennedy continued his drinking habits after the events of RE: Vendetta. Ada Wong coincidentally came across something that would prove to be the most unexpected intervention, and she would help him, whether he realized it or not.





	Noir

**Author's Note:**

> A little headcanon I posted on the aeon server that REALLY got out of hand. Originally planned to just be a drabble, this grew into a multi-chaptered fic. 
> 
> Inspiration for Noir's appearance: https://thepetlanddifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/1392511_800.jpg
> 
> Also, Hunnigan is pretty much Leon's lifeline. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil or any of its characters. I did create Noir though ;)

She was perched on the roof of the opposite building, the night breeze making short, dark strands tickle her face. Binoculars in hand, her hookshot and concealable Walther in their holsters, it was clear that stealth and observation were her objectives. Ada had come to terms with her little...pastime a long time ago, although to call it that wouldn’t be entirely accurate, since it wasn’t often that she was in DC. Twice a year at most and only if she had a job there, because Ada quite enjoyed her apartment in Paris and had made it her main hideout. Nevertheless, whenever she was in the city, she would be sure to pay a visit to a certain building located southeast of the White House’s grounds. Ada had driven past the place before during daylight (she might or might not have made a little detour on her way to meet up with a client): eleven stories high, the facade appeared to be a glass box covered in two separate vertical planes of red bricks, the kind one would find on the typical modern apartment block in DC. It was modest and plain, situated in an unremarkable area where the only great thing was a big park nearby that provided some nature, softening the surrounding architecture, all glass, brick and steel. None of it interested Ada in the slightest, and normally she wouldn’t even look twice at such a place, had it not been the home of one Leon Kennedy. 

She zoomed in on the window of his living room, watching as Leon flopped down on his couch, a bottle in hand. 

Ada focused on the bottle - ah, so it’s whiskey today. This had been the third night. The third night in the last two years that she ‘visited’ him, and each time, he never failed to have some kind of alcohol in his hold. Leon used to have a proper lowball glass to drink it with, however, it seemed this time he had opted to go straight for the bottle. Must have been a rough day. He also had a remarkable ability to go to work the next day as if he hadn’t downed two bottles the night before, although she knew he worked the late morning to midnight shift, so maybe he had enough time to gather himself by the time duty calls. Or maybe he was just never fully sober. Ada had her concerns about his ability to carry out his missions the first time she saw him like this, however, whenever they bumped into each other on the field, Leon was alert; intelligent, trained and possessing exceptional survival skills, he always remained a force to be reckoned with, and Ada would be lying if she said it wasn’t getting harder for her to utilize him in her plans. These days, the main reason she easily got away with most things during their encounters was because he let her. Although he wouldn’t be able to stop her even if he wanted to, Ada still appreciated his begrudging cooperation, which saved her time and prevented them from hurting each other further. 

However, no matter how witty and capable he appeared on missions, he couldn’t hide that this life was taking its toll on him. Now alone, without the president’s safety to be concerned about or the need to keep faces with his colleagues, Leon allowed himself to look true to his age and experience. Lines on his profile, very faint but visible, from all the times he frowned and smiled. Despite his top-notch shape from years of rigorous training, his face had gotten thinner, high cheekbones prominent; eyes a little more sunken and a lot more haunted, however, that intense blue was still the same as the first time she saw them in 1998. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Leon was still handsome, or dare she said, beautiful, and while age hadn’t been as kind to him as it had to her, it only added a fitting ruggedness to his features. 

Ada had heard whispers of his little team-up with the BSAA three months ago, after all, Glenn Arias wasn’t exactly subtle, choosing New York of all places for his plan. She also knew about Leon’s misfortune before that, having looked into it herself the moment she caught news that a DSO squad led by one of its first agents had been wiped out, with only one survivor. The spy was both relieved and unsurprised that he came out as that sole survivor, and that the reason the mission failed spectacularly was because one of his team members betrayed them all. It must have left a mark on Leon, because that was the only explanation for his uncharacteristic recklessness during the Arias incident. Ada had hacked into the BSAA database and read the reports, intrigued when it mentioned how Leon basically blew up part of a highway to take down two enhanced Ceberuses, ran his bike straight into Arias, and took on his mutated form solo, resulting in a broken arm after being tossed into a concrete column. He managed to come out on top, as always, but it left a bad taste in her mouth. 

Now, she was witnessing that recklessness again, as he dipped his head back to swallow the alcohol, slumped on his couch. Then he just stared at whatever it was that was playing on his TV, seeing but not watching, eyes and mind miles away in some places Ada wasn’t sure she would like to know, because she knew too well what would happen if she were to allow herself to do the same; after all, Carla’s face, her own face, melting away had never really left her mind every time she closed her eyes to sleep. It surprised her how much seeing him, so alone, so lost in his spartan apartment actually bothered her. Ada had sworn to herself that she would keep out of his personal life, that it would be best if their interactions were limited within jobs and missions; however, that doesn’t mean her concern for his well-being could be contained as well. 

Suddenly, Leon turned and looked out of the window. Ada wasted no time in getting down on her stomach, letting the edge of the roof and darkness conceal her form. ‘Coward’, she thought, but there was no way she would let her presence be discovered. Not tonight, not like this. The binoculars were still on her eyes, and she could see his, squinted and alert, scanning the roof she was lying on. Ever the agent. Nevertheless, he returned to his activity shortly after, probably convinced himself it was a trick of the light and he was being paranoid. 

It was time for her to leave, Ada decided. She already knew how this would turn out, he would drink himself unconscious, and as much as she wanted to interfere, it wasn’t her place. Hell, she was probably one of the reasons for his drinking habit, all the times she double-crossed him and leaving him confused. The spy got up from her spot and walked to the other edge of the roof, aimed her hook shot and pulled the trigger. She enjoyed the night air, a nice contrast to the heat of adrenaline slowly building up, as she swung her way through the city. Her current hotel wasn’t far, only a ten-minute drive and five minutes by hookshot and some rooftop parkour. However, she couldn’t come in through the entrance in full gear, to the clerks she was Ms. Natalie Tran, a real estate agent on holiday. So Ada landed in the alleyway facing the side of her window, and aimed her hookshot at the spot between her and her neighbors’ window; she planned to lift herself up quietly and discreetly by staying within that gap between the windows in case someone decided to look out and see something they shouldn’t. 

However, before she could pull the trigger, a weak, high-pitched cry caught her attention. 

It was fleeting, as if whatever made the noise didn’t have the strength to carry it out till the end. Ada lowered her arm, still holding the hook shot, and stood still; the sound came from her left, and the only thing there was a garbage disposal area. 

The thing made a noise again, confirming her suspicion. This time, it was a very fragile yowl, if you could even call it that. Like before, it was cut off early.

‘...A kitten?’ Ada thought, she had encountered enough before to know one’s cries and yowls; one of her previous disguises had even been a cat-obsessed entrepreneur, requiring her to pretend taking care of a couple of kittens as part of her cover. It had been surprisingly therapeutic.

She made her way over to the garbage bins and saw a cardboard box placed between two of them, as if someone pushed it there to conceal it from immediate view. Inside was a black ball, almost blending into the night around it has it not been for the box’s bright color. It was just a little bigger than her palm, and Ada felt her heart dropped. The kitten only took up half the space in the box, and when it sensed her presence, it opened its eyes, and two icy blue orbs stared at her; it was almost identical to a certain blue she knew and liked. Next to it was a folded piece of paper, which Ada picked up. Inside were hurried scrawls: ‘_ Mother died. Can’t feed. Sorry. _’ Hm, surprisingly informative. The note let Ada knew she wouldn’t have to wait around one to two hours to see if a mother would come back, as it was sometimes the case that the mother would leave to get food. It also informed her that this fragile thing of a kitten didn’t have anyone else, and should that fact remains, death would be certain. 

The kitten let out a tiny sneeze. 

Ada scooped the little thing up with one hand, and it immediately curled up in her palm, unbelievably trusting. Maybe it needed food and warmth too much to care. With a hiss, the hook from her gun shot up and found its hold, allowing her to quietly get to the window of her room, which she had left open before leaving to make life easier. The black ball of fur in her gentle hold started to relax, a few seconds after its escape from the early winter chill, but then let out a residue shiver. Ada made sure that no one saw them and closed the blinds, before quickly making her way into the bathroom and wrapped a warm hair towel around the kitten, grateful that her hotel is luxurious enough to have heated towel racks. When she finished, the kitten was properly covered, only its face poking out of the bundle. Like a baby. It opened its eyes again, pale baby blues watching her with as much focus and curiosity as it could manage.

“Poor thing. You were left to fend for yourself too, huh?” she spoke softly at the bundle in her hands. “I wonder if you have a name?” However, she already knew the answer, as the note didn’t mention any names, nor did kitten had anything on its body that indicated previous ownership. Ada scoffed, the previous owner could have gone about this a lot more humanely. Abandoning a motherless kitten in a box without blankets or provision, visually hidden; that didn’t provide much chance for survival. Kitty answered her with a small cry, still lacking in strength after its ordeal. “Someone must be hungry.” she smiled.

Ada called down the reception to request some necessary ingredients and an empty syringe, pleased that they didn’t question and waste her time; the Organization sure knew their hotels. Soon, there was a knock at her door and a call: “Room service.” Ada placed the kitten on the bed, and opened her door only a little, concealing it from view. She had made sure to take off all her holsters and weapons, now only wearing an inconspicuous red dress. 

“Ms. Tran, here are the items you requested.” the staff said as he handed her a tray with a cup of condensed milk, a cup of warm water, a cup of plain yogurt and a cup containing a single egg yolk. And an empty syringe. This will do. 

“Anything else I can get for you?” The young man did a good job at concealing any curiosity about the things he just delivered.

“Thank you. That is all.”

“Then have a good night, madame.” 

Kitten let out a yowl right after Ada closed the door, and she was glad it chose then to do so, because explaining why she was feeding a kitty at twelve am in a hotel room when she didn’t check in with one would have been quite a hassle. 

“Let’s get you some milk, shall we?” Kitten only blinked. She got to making the emergency formula, it would need proper kitty formula soon, but this would suffice for now. Soon, Ada was sitting on the bed, bundle in one hand and syringe in the other, small sucking noises the only sound in the room as the little thing happily latches onto the nutrition source. It was drinking so fast that Ada had to slow down her press on the piston end, fearing the kitty would choke. “Eager little thing…” she said affectionately. Its hair stood out in violent contrast with the white towel, short, but was still a shocking black. However, the color got fainter towards the end of the strands and turned into a platinum grey, so subtle, it could be mistaken for a trick of light. The end of night and beginning of dawn.

“Noir. That will be your name. Can’t go around calling you Kitten forever now, can I?” said kitten’s only reaction to its new name was to squint its big eyes till they’re half-closed and contently sucked the end of the syringe, letting out squeaky cat noises. 

Ada Wong was not getting attached to a stray. 

Just because she still had enough heart left to not leave an abandoned kitten to its death didn’t mean she could actually take it in; her unpredictable job made sure that is out of the question. Ada knew that the least Noir deserved was a loving home, no less. 

After Noir had been fed and warmed, Ada took it upon herself to give the kitten a quick cleaning with a wet towel, not wanting its fragile immune system to suffer from lack of hygiene. She found out that Noir was a girl, and was quite a noisy one. Having regained some strength from feeding, the black kitty was more confident in vocalizing herself, tiny little meows and at one point, a purr when Ada gently rubbed the towel under her chin.

Later on, Ada made a little ‘bed’ for her, which really was just soft towels arranged into a nest-like pile. Her mind was still occupied with how to deal with this situation, drawing up plans of giving Noir to an animal shelter but quickly scrapped them before making a decision that Noir must be given to someone she trusted. 

As she turned off the lights and checked on Noir a last time, blue was all that was visible of the cat, its body completely enveloped in the dark. A blue so familiar.

“I think I know exactly who can give you a home you deserve, my little darling.” 

\--

Leon inserted the key, turned it and unlocked the door to his apartment with a thoughtless familiarity. It was past midnight, and he was thankful for the nearby 24/7 convenience store because he wouldn’t have to wake up early to do some grocery shopping the next day. It was a weekday and he still had some paperwork to do tomorrow, so Leon settled for beer tonight. The headache he got this morning from last night’s whiskey still lingered, and he could only hope the beer would chase it away. 

He was halfway into his dark kitchen when a squeaky little cry made him stop in his track. Instinct wasted no time to kick in, the agent immediately dropped the bag and pulled his gun from its holster. The noise seemed to come from his bedroom. Something was in his apartment. Was it a B.O.W? Who sent it? Leon knew many people wanted him dead, remnants of Umbrella and Los Illuminados. Hell, they came close to killing him before, that incident with Patricio. He never let his guard down, especially after that, and it had cost him much sleep. Gun steady, he slowly approached his bedroom, feet soundless against the wooden floor of his apartment.

B.O.W or not, the sound it made sure wasn’t intimidating. 

With trained movements, Leon pressed himself against the bedroom door before pushing it open. It let out a little squeak, and he mentally cursed for forgetting to oil the hinge. The moment he was inside, his gun was raised, his eyes trying to find the infiltrator hidden within the darkness. 

“Meow.”

Leon’s head snapped to the sound and two glowing blue orbs stared back at him.

“Aagh!” he yelped, and the thing jumped at his sudden sound. 

Leon Kennedy just got startled by a goddamn cat. 

He quickly pressed the light switch to his left and covered his eyes a little as light exploded in the room. Right there, at the foot of his bed, was a blue cat bed that definitely wasn’t there when he left in the morning, and on it, a _ tiny _ ball of black. Its eyes, striking blue, were still locking onto him.

Leon and the kitten stared at each other in the cutest standoff he had ever experienced, until it let out a little yowl. It was the same squeaky noise he heard earlier. He decided to approach it in small, light steps, as if it would jump on him and clawed his eyes out at any moment, although he was sure the thing was smaller than his palm. Shit, maybe this was just a distraction and they actually planted a bomb inside that cat bed or something. Upon getting closer, Leon saw a piece of paper placed besides the kitten. With the same tact he used to get the key from that corpse in Tall Oaks a couple years ago, Leon gently but quickly snatched the note before the cat could deem him too close for its comfort. 

Opening it, the first thing that caught his eyes was a very familiar lipstick mark on the bottom right corner.

‘_ Your apartment seems a little big for one person, handsome. Maybe Noir here could help you fix that, she’s a sweetheart, trust me. Found her abandoned and motherless, so don’t bother to look for her owner. _’

Right, so Ada Wong just dropped by and left him a stray.

The first thing he did was to open up his phone and pull up her number, which he hoped she still kept. ‘_ I cannot take care of a cat. _’ he hit send and put his phone away, because he knew she never answered right away. 

Noir got bored of looking at him and started to test her tiny claws on his wooden bed leg.

“Hey, stop that!” he quickly scooped the kitten up and away before she could do any real damage. Just as he guessed, Noir was smaller than his palm, and Leon felt a pang in his heart at the realization. The black fur ball squirmed in his hold, and almost fell off if Leon hadn’t been quick enough to catch her with his other hand. Noir was still shaken from the little drop, and curled up in his palm, trembling slightly. 

Shit. Jesus. This was not happening. 

Damn him and his tendency to get attached too quickly. 

Leon had never taken care of a cat before. The last pet he had was his family’s old dog that had passed away a few years ago (leaving his widowed mother heartbroken). He hadn’t had to take care of him ever since joining the police academy; and after Raccoon, dogs tended to bring back bad memories, so Leon abstained from getting one, even though he used to be a dog person. His working schedule didn’t allow any time for pets either. It was an understatement to say Leon had very little experience with caring for animals. 

As absurd as it may sound, he was scared to mess this up. So he called the one person who usually helped him get out of any messes he found himself in. 

“Kennedy, I have to get up in five hours, this’d better be fucking good.” 

Hunnigan answered, words slow from sleep. He could hear Helena’s groan next to her. It had surprised everyone in the DSO and Secret Service when Ingrid Hunnigan, the resident ‘Woman of Steel’ fell head over heels for Helena Harper a few months after China. Leon was absolutely happy for them when they decided to move in together, they were both dear friends and he was glad they could take care of each other, especially when Helena had been recovering from the loss of her sister and needed someone. He was there when it happened, but after, had been unable to provide her with any emotional support. Moreover, their positions didn’t allow them to have much contact after their names were both cleared, so these days Hunnigan was the main reason he got to see Helena, if at all. Leon hadn’t been very capable of keeping contact with his friends. The last time he spoke to Claire was three years ago.

“Hunnigan, you know I would never call you just to chat with your witty soul.” he swore he could hear her eye roll. “I...may have gotten myself into a tight spot.” More like the tight spot came to him. “I have a kitten in my apartment.”

“WHAT?!” he held the phone further from his ear. Helena let out a pained sound. “Are you serious? Since when have you done pets?”

“I didn’t get it, someone gave it to me. I’ll explain later. Look, Hunnigan, I need your help. You have two cats right? So you must know how to take care of a kitten.” 

“I do.” she quickly settled into a familiar tone, reminiscent of her professionalism when he was on the field. This was why he would always trust Hunnigan with his life. “First, you gotta check its condition. How big is it? Is its eyes open?”

He looked at Noir, still curling in his palm, albeit calmer now. She was looking at him with those blue eyes again. “She looked a little weak, but stable. Just a little smaller than my hand. And yeah, both eyes open.”

“Okay, must be around two to three weeks old then. You have to make sure she was comfortable with the room temperature. The kitten will need feeding every three to four hours, and DO NOT feed her cow’s milk. Do you have any goat milk in your fridge?”

“No, but I can go get some.” 

“Good. When you have it, mix 8 ounces with two egg yolks and a teaspoon of vegetable oil. Get an empty syringe too if you can, she can only drink in drops. That will do for tonight. Tomorrow, you and I are going for some supplies shopping.”

“Hunnigan, you’re god sent.”

“And you should take care of that kitten properly, or you’ll get to witness my infamous anger for the first time.”

“Are you threatening me over MY kitten?” Wait, since when is Noir HIS kitten?

“All kittens deserve a happy life. Goodnight, Leon.” 

“Goodnight. And thanks, Hunnigan.” He hung up his phone, feeling much more assured. This, he could do. Just clean objectives to finish. 

Operation keeping Noir alive commence. 

\-- 

An hour later, Leon was feeding a cat for the first time. He managed to gather all the ingredients Hunnigan mentioned, minus the empty syringe since the local pharmacy was closed for the night. He made do by buying an eyedropper, emptied its content and washed it before pouring the homemade formula inside. With a government trained steadiness, he held the eyedropper above Noir’s waiting mouth, and carefully squeezed little drops of milk into it. Her tiny pink tongue poked in and out, gathering the milk, and Leon had to stop himself from cooing. At forty years of age, he couldn’t just give in to something like a cute kitten that easily, no matter how hard it was right now. Leon had a chance to observe the cat better. Noir was simply striking contradictions. Hair like the darkest night (like _ hers _), with the ends on the chest area turning a moonlight silver. Her face was all eyes, the ice-blues that had startled him at first were now half-closed in focus and content, as she happily had her meal. Just like that, Leon fell in love a little more. 

That night, he set several alarms, three hours apart from each other. Somehow he managed to get up each time (not that the nightmares let him have a deep sleep anyways), and fed Noir, who was sleeping a lot herself, occasionally twitching in her slumber. 

The pack of beer he bought sat forgotten on the kitchen floor. 

\--

Leon woke up to a rasp on his door. Bleary-eyed, he reached for his phone and groaned when the screen showed a time of 7 am. The sunlight shining through his full-length windows didn’t help either. Might as well got up. 

He strolled to his door in his sweatpants, didn’t even bother to put a shirt on. The agent was past the point of giving a shit, and anyone who decided to knock on his door at this hour would have to deal. Leon opened the door to reveal a very well put together Hunnigan, hair in a neat bun and rocking her usual business dress, as if she hadn’t been woken up by his phone call at the middle of the night. 

“Get dressed, Leon. I only have an hour before work, so we need to make this quick.” she pushed past him and walked inside his apartment. Unlike Leon, whose shift was from late morning until midnight, Hunnigan had a more regular working hour from 8 am till 6 pm, although she never failed to stay overtime. Leon knew better than to complain about the early hour, so he just nodded and turned around to get back to his bedroom.

“Wait, can I see the little girl?” Hunnigan’s eyes were bright with excitement, although her tone remained neutral. Guess there was a first time for everything.

“Okay...Just don’t scare her I guess.” He went into his bedroom and came back out with the little monster fitting snugly in his palm. 

Hunnigan actually cooed. Leon raised an eyebrow.

“Ahem...I could take care of her for a bit while you get dressed. What’s her name?” She composed herself in an instant, but it was still too late. He smirked.

“It’s Noir. And please don’t make me explain it. Also, had I known your defense is this weak against animals, I would have brought you a kitten years ago, to lure you on a date with me.” 

“In your dreams, Kennedy. I only have eyes for the ladies, namely Helena. And cats. Now may I remind you that we have fifty minutes left?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Leon answered, voice light. “And I know.” his tone a little more serious. 

After Spain, Hunnigan had made it abundantly clear that she played for the other team, and Leon respected that. To be honest, even if she had been straight, he wouldn’t have pressed the matter either, his flirting with her in that hell had mostly been an outlet for his stress and fear of failing his mission. However, he appreciated where they had ended up, as trusted colleagues, and as old friends who didn’t shy away from banters. She had become one of the very few constants in this life. 

He passed Noir over to Hunnigan, who handled her with care and experience. The black ball squirmed a little, weary of strange hands, however, when Leon put his index finger under her chin and rubbed a little, she started to relax in Hunnigan’s hold.

“She’s already attached to you.” Hunnigan commented.

“I just fed her. And maybe googled up where cats like to be touched. I’ve only played with dogs before.” He was the only available source of food for Noir, obviously, she would cling to him. That didn’t mean she liked him or anything.

“Whatever you say, Leon.” Hunnigan was already lost as Noir blinked at her. 

Leon rolled his eyes and quickly went to put some clothes on, brushing his teeth in the process.

Ten minutes later, they were in Hunnigan’s car. Leon had to leave Noir at home, because he would be too busy carrying all the shopping later to hold her, and she needed her sleep anyway. The kitten had really taken to the blue bed Ada had bought for her. He tried to picture Ada in a pet shop, Noir in one hand and browsing through catnip and toys and it brought a little smile to his lips. The drive only took five minutes, Hunnigan pulled over to a little shop with eye-catching red and blue letters. “Howl To The Chief.” Leon read the name out loud. “This is my go-to place for Butter and Scotch’s supplies.” She answered. Butter and Scotch were her two cats, and the last time Leon came over, Scotch left a long tear on his sock. 

The bell made a loud ring as they entered the shop, and immediately, Leon was overwhelmed. How did so many things fit into such a small shop? There were like seven different kinds of cat food and five kinds of kitten formula, what the hell was he supposed to get? His thoughts were cut short by the greeting of a staff (“Morning, Miss Hunnigan”) and Hunnigan, who just nodded and made a beeline for the food section. She picked up one of the formula cans and handed it to him. 

“I checked Noir earlier. No umbilical cord, ears are perking up halfway, pupils are still dilated, can stand a little but still wobbly. I’m guessing she’s a little more than two weeks old.” Hunnigan pointed at the can in his hands. “So she’ll need to be fed with kitten formula for two more weeks. After that, comes these.” She reached for a can of solid kitten food and gave it to him as well. “Growing cats need a lot more protein, fat and omega III than adults, so you’ll need to make sure she receives proper nutrition with these. If it goes well, she’ll be ready to switch to adult food in ten to twelve months.” Leon was listening with a focus he utilizes on missions. If he could ride a plane with her instructions, he could take care of a kitten. He hoped. He wasn’t even sure Noir would be in his care for that long, he still had doubts about being responsible for a life when his job was so demanding; moreover, he hadn’t been able to take care of his problems either, instead choosing to drink them away. Suddenly, shame was all he felt. 

“Leon, are you listening?”

“Got it.” He gave a curt answer, avoiding Hunnigan’s questioning gaze. She brushed it off, professional as always, and continued. 

“I will send you an article about feeding schedules throughout Noir’s development later. For now, we just need to get a nursing syringe and she’s good.” The staff brought them a basket, clearly used to Hunnigan’s shopping experience. She took it gratefully and Leon put the cans on his hands inside. It seemed that they weren’t done. He followed her to the next section.

“She will need soft towels for cleaning and trimmer for her claws. And if you want to keep yourself or your furniture intact, I suggest you get a chewing toy and a scratching post for when she starts teething and her claws get sharper.” Despite her words, Hunnigan just took the mentioned items from the shelves and put them into the basket. Clearly she didn’t trust him to remember all this, or to have the time to return and get them later. 

“And finally, the best stuff. Toys. She has a long way to grow, and you need to ensure she gets the chance to develop her muscles and senses. A cat dancer will do the trick.” She held up a springy metal rod with some paper rolls attached to its end, and waved it around. “Or the classic laser pen. Either one will help Noir train her hunting skills, with a lot of fun.”

“You are enjoying this a lot.” Leon commented with no sarcasm. He was pleasantly surprised to see this side of Hunnigan. It also made him feel less guilty about asking for her help when she actually liked to help. 

“And you only state the obvious. Cats are the best, Leon. They don’t serve us, we serve them. But do it right, and you’ll have a very rewarding companionship.” She replied with sincerity and finished their little shopping trip.

He ended up buying both the cat dancer and the laser pointer, everything Hunnigan put in the basket, along with a grooming brush too. It wasn’t cheap, but Leon didn’t complain. God knows it was better when his money could be spent on something more meaningful than alcohol. The only things Leon allowed himself to indulge in were good alcohol and expensive leather jackets, and even those didn’t put much of a dent on his savings. So he absolutely didn’t mind spending extra on pet supplies, if it meant they were of quality. The drive back to his place was mostly quiet, save for Hunnigan’s suggestion that he should still take Noir to the vet for a check up, in case her time on the street left any bad effects. When Leon got out of the car, Hunnigan gave him one last advice:

“Bring her to work today. She still needs to be fed every three hours, and I mostly sit at my desk all day. You can drop by during breaks to see her.” He had no idea how she was going to have a kitten allowed in the F.O.S HQ, but he knew she would manage to do it.

“Thank you, Hunnigan. What would I do without you.” 

“My pleasure. Lucky for you, I’m sticking around for quite a while.” She gave him a smile and rolled up the window. Leon watched as her car disappeared down the road, before making his way back to his apartment. 

\--

When he was inside, Leon just left the bags on the kitchen floor, wanting to check on Noir first. He opened the bedroom door, expecting the kitten to be in her usual twitchy slumber. 

Except that the cat bed was empty.

Leon’s stomach dropped. He dashed towards it, checked the surrounding area, even underneath his own bed. Nothing. How could he be so fucking foolish, leaving an abandoned kitten alone for almost an hour?! Albeit she was alone last night when he went out for the milk, but it was only for ten minutes, and she was sleeping. His apartment was on the tenth floor though, so she couldn’t have escaped through any windows, and the balcony doors were closed. He also locked his door, she couldn’t have gone out either. Leon doubted that Noir would be able to get far on her wobbly legs. Despite his logical thinking, none of it eased his worry the slightest, god knows what could have happened to her. What if she tried to climb somewhere and fell? Or worse, what if she thought he too had ABANDONED her? 

“Noir? Noir, where are you?!” Leon called out, but his bedroom remained silent. He ran out to the living room. 

“Kitty? I’m so sorry I left you alone. Please meow or something!” The man was near desperate, checking every corner.

A sad, high pitched meow answered him, from behind his TV table.

Leon rushed to the source and cursed at the sight that greeted him. Noir was cowering behind the table, trying to hide among the cables. Her tiny body was shaking. He had never wanted to hit himself as bad. Leon quickly scooped the little thing up, careful not to let any cables touch her. She could have been fucking electrocuted. She dug her tiny claws into his palm in fear, earning a hiss from him, but yeah, he completely deserved that.

Leon held her close to his chest, letting her feel the comforting warmth from his body heat. He had read that it can sooth scared kittens. 

“I’m sorry sweetheart, that was so foolish of me. I will never abandon you.” She looked at him, and Hunnigan was right, her pupils were dilated, making her eyes appear much bigger and tearful. 

He would never abandon her. 

And just like that, Leon let change take over his life. 

\--

Half an hour later, when Noir was happily sucking formula through her new nursing syringe, Leon’s phone buzzed once. He saw Ada’s reply popping up on the screen: ‘_ You have always been a fast learner, I’m sure you’ll be okay. _’

He hated how she always seemed to be one step ahead of him. 

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
